Graphic Playlist: THE VISION Mixtape

Everyone has their own rituals when it comes to reading comics. Some people like to read them on the train, others while drinking a cup of coffee. Some of us here at Panels love to don our headphones and sync some of our favorite songs with our favorite comics. In Graphic Playlist, we present you with a recommended set of songs for our favorite comics or favorite characters.

art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Joride Bellaire

The first issue of The Vision by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Jordie Bellaire struck a chord with me. The offbeat tale follows The Vision – Avenger and new adjutant to the President – as he creates a new family for himself in the Virginian suburbs of Washington, D.C. It’s a story that feels atypical of Marvel, a drama about the nature of humanity in robots and suburban horror. The book is literary in its approach as well, layered and full of foreshadowing while still allowing the art room to breathe and create its own sub narrative. With just two issues under its belt, I can already tell I love this book.

I knew after issue one that I wanted to get some appropriate tunes set up for this series, but the most recent issue really solidified where I wanted to go. From the subtle creepiness of The Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” to deconstruction of modern life in Roxy Music’s “In Every Dream Home, A Heartache,” we start off with tunes exposing the underlying horror of suburban living, the false smiles, the lies, the gossip that permeate the air. We then pick up with robot-centric songs like “Artificial Heart” and “Electric Lady” to set the stage for our synthezoid protagonists. There are even some hints at the plot in the few of the songs.